Questions and Answers from Learning Quran
Question 1: How many Mufridat letters are there?
Answer: There are 29 Mufridat letters.
Question 2: How many Musta’liyah letters are there? Mention these letters.
Answer: There are 7 Musta’liyah letters and they are: ق,غ,ظ, و,ط,ض,ص,خ .
Question 3: How are the Musta’liyah letters pronounced and what is their combination?
Answer: Musta’liyah letters are always pronounced with a thicker voice in every condition and their combination is خُصَّ ضَغْطٍ قِظْ .
Question 4: How many letters are there which are pronounced by lips and what are they?
Answer: There are 4 letters which are pronounced by lips. They are: و م ف ب.
Question 5: How many Safeeriyah (whistle-sounding) letters are there and what are they?
Answer: There are 3 Safeeriyah letters. They are: ص س ز.
Question 6: What is meant by the term Harakaat?
Answer: Fathah [Zabar] Harakaat. Kasrah [Zayr] and Dammah [Paysh] are called Harakaat.
Question 7: How are Harakaat pronounced?
Answer: Harakaat are pronounced in an Arabic accent without stretching or suddenly pausing the voice.
Question 8: What is Tanween?
Answer: Fathatayn [Two Zabar], [Two Paysh] Kasratayn, [Two Zayr] and Dammatayn are called ‘Tanween’. In fact, Tanween is a Noon Saakin which is at the end of the word; this is why Tanween sounds like Noon Saakin.
Question 9: How many letters of Maddah are there? Mention them.
Answer: There are 3 letters of Maddah and they are: يَا وَآو آلِف .
Question 10: How does an يَا وَآو آلِف become Maddah?
Answer: When there is Fathah [Zabar before an آلف it becomes آلف Maddah. When there is a Dammah [Paysh] before a واو Saakin, it becomes واو Maddah. When there is a Kasrah [Zayr] before a یا Saakin, it becomes یا Maddah.
Question 11: How are the letters of Maddah pronounced?
Answer: The letters of Maddah are pronounced by stretching them up to one ألف i.e. up to two Harakaat.
Question 12: What is meant by Vertical [Khari] Harakaat?
Answer: Vertical Fathah [Zabar], Vertical [Zayr] and Inverted Dammah [Paysh] are called Vertical [Khari] Harakaat.
Question 13: How are the Vertical Harakaat pronounced?
Answer: Vertical Harakaat are pronounced by stretching them up to one ألف i.e. up to two Harakaat, like that in the case of the letters of Maddah.
Question 14: How many Letters of Leen are there? Mention them.
Answer: There are two letters of Leen: واو and يا .
Question 15: How are the letters of Leen pronounced?
Answer: The letters of Leen are pronounced gently in an Arabic accent without any stretching or sudden pausing.
Question 16: How will a واو and a یا become a وآؤ Leen and a یا Leen respectively?
Answer: When there is a Fathah [Zabar] before a واو Saakinah, it becomes a واو Leen. When there is a Fathah [Zabar] before a یا Saakinah, it becomes a یا Leen.
Question 17: What is the meaning of Qalqalah?
Answer: The meaning of Qalqalah is movement, there should be some movement at the Makharij (places where the letters are pronounced) such that the sound echoes.
Question 18: How many Letters of Qalqalah are there, what are they and what is their combined form?
Answer: There are five Letters of Qalqalah د ر ج ر ب ط ق and their combination is قُطْبُ جَدٍ .
Question 19: When will Qalqalah be made clearer in the Letters of Qalqalah?
Answer: When the Letters of Qalqalah are Saakinah, Qalqalah should be clearer.
Question 20: How are the letters of Qalqalah pronounced when Mushaddadah?
Answer: When the letters of Qalqalah are Mushaddadah, they are pronounced with emphasis.
Question 21: How is a Hamzah Saakinah (اْ , ءْ ) pronounced?
Answer: Hamzah Saakinah (اْ , ءْ ) is always pronounced with a sudden pause.
Question 22: How many cases are there of نون Saakin and Tanween and what are they?
Answer: There are four cases regarding نون Saakin and Tanween: 1. ( اظهار ) Izhar, 2. ( الخفاء ) Ikhfa, 3. ( ادغام ) Idgham, 4. ( اقلاب ) Iqlaab.
Question 23: Describe the case of Izhar.
Answer: If a Halqiyyah letter comes after a نون Saakinah or Tanween, then Izhar will be done i.e. nasalisation (Ghunnah) will not be done when pronouncing such a نون Saakinah or Tanween.
Question 24: How many Halqiyyah letters are there and what are they?
Answer: There are 6 Halqiyyah letters and they are: ء، ه، ع، ح، غ and خ .
Question 25: Describe the case of Ikhfa?
Answer: If an Ikhfa letter comes after a نون Saakinah or Tanween, then Ikhfa will be done i.e. nasalisation (Ghunnah) will be done when pronouncing such a نون Saakinah or Tanween.
Question 26: How many Ikhfa letters are there and what are they?
Answer: The Ikhfa letters are 15 in number and they are: ك ق ف ظ ط ض ص ش س ز ذ دج ث ت .
Question 27: What is Tashdeed and what is the term for a letter which has the sign of Tashdeed on it?
Answer: The w-shaped sign ّ is called Tashdeed. A letter which has the Tashdeed sign on it is called Mushaddadah.
Question 28: How to pronounce نون Mushaddadah and ميم Mushaddadah?
Answer: نون Mushaddadah and ميم Mushaddadah will always be pronounced with Ghunnah (nasalisation).
Question 29: What is Ghunnah and what is its duration [length]?
Answer: Ghunnah means to pronounce with nasalisation (taking the sound into the nose) and its duration [length] is equal to one آلف .
Question 30: How is a Mushaddadah letter pronounced?
Answer: The Mushaddadah letter is pronounced twice; first by combining it with the Mutaharrikah letter before and then by its own Harakah with a slight pause.
Question 31: Describe the rule of Idgham.
Answer: Idgham will be done when a letter of Yarmaloon comes after a نون Saakinah or Tanween. In the case of ‘ر’ and ‘ل’ Idgham will be done without Ghunnah and in the case of the other 4 letters, Idgham will be done with Ghunnah.
Question 32: How many Letters of Yarmaloon are there and what are they?
Answer: There are six Letters of Yarmaloon and they are: و ل م ر ی and ن .
Question 33: Describe the rule of Iqlaab.
Answer: If the letter ‘ب’ comes after a نون Saakinah or Tanween, then Iqlaab will be done i.e. change the نون Saakinah or Tanween into a ميم and do Ikhfa i.e. pronounce with nasalisation.
Question 34: How many cases are there for ميم Saakin and what are they?
Answer: There are three cases of ميم Saakin: (1) Idgham-e-Shafawi, (2) Ikhfa-e-Shafawi, (3) Izhar-e-Shafawi.
Question 35: Describe the rule of Idgham-e-Shafawi.
Answer: When after a ميم Saakinah, another میم comes, Idgham-e-Shafawi is done within the میم Saakinah i.e. Ghunnah is done.
Question 36: Describe the rule of Ikhfa-e-Shafawi.
Answer: If a ‘ب’ comes after a ميم Saakinah, Ikhfa-e-Shafawi is done within the ميم Saakinah i.e. Ghunnah is done.
Question 37: Describe the rule of Izhar-e-Shafawi.
Answer: If any letter other than ‘ب’ or ‘م’ comes after a میم Saakinah, Izhar-e-Shafawi is done within the ميم Saakinah i.e. Ghunnah is not done.
Question 38: What is meant by Tafkheem and Tarqeeq?
Answer: The meaning of Tafkheem is to pronounce the letter in a thick tone and Tarqeeq is to pronounce the letter in a thin tone.
Question 39: When is the لام of the Ism-e-Jalalat - الله pronounced in a thick tone and when is it pronounced in a thin tone?
Answer: If the letter before the لم of the Ism-e-Jalalat - الله has a Fathah [Zabar] or Dammah [Paysh] on it, then the أم of the Ism-e-Jalalat - الله will be pronounced in a thick tone and if the letter before the م of the Ism-e-Jalalat - الله has a Kasrah [Zayr[ below it, then the م of the Ism-e-Jalalat - الله will be pronounced in a thin tone.
Question 40: When is ألف pronounced in a thick tone and when in a thin tone?
Answer: ألف will be pronounced in a thick tone if the letter which comes before it is pronounced in a thick tone and it will be pronounced in a thin tone when the letter before is pronounced in a thin tone.
Question 41: Mention the conditions when the letterرا will be pronounced in a thick tone.
Answer: The letter راwill be pronounced in a thick tone when:
a) It has a Fathah [Zabar] or Dammah [Paysh] on it
b) It has Fathatayn [two Zabar] or Dammatayn [Two Paysh] on it
c) It has a Vertical Fathah [Khari Zabar] on it
d) The letter before a را Saakinah has a Fathah [Zabar] or Dammah [Paysh]
e) There is a Kasrah ‘Aridiyyah [Temporary Zayr] before a را Saakinah
f) There is a Kasrah [Zayr] before a را Saakinah in the preceding word
g) A Musta’liyah letter comes after a را Saakinah in the same word.
Question 42: Mention the conditions when the letter را will be pronounced in a thin tone.
Answer: The letter را will be pronounced in a thin tone when:
a) There is a Kasrah [Zayr] or Kasratayn [Two Zayr] under it
b) There is Kasrah Asliyyah (Original Zayr) before a را Saakinah in the same word
c) When there is a یا Saakinah before a را Saakinah.
Question 43: What is a Kasrah ‘Aridiyyah (Temporary Zayr)?
Answer: In the Holy Quran, there are some words which begin with the letter ألف with no Harakah, so whichever Harakah one will apply to such an الف during its pronunciation will be temporary e.g. in the word ارجعى the Kasrah [Zayr] is Aaridi (temporary).
Question 44: What is the meaning of Madd? What are the causes of Madd and what are they?
Answer: The meaning of Madd is to stretch. There are two causes for Madd: (1) Hamzah (2) Sukoon.
Question 45: How many types of Madd are there and what are they?
Answer: There are 6 types of Madd: (1) Madd Muttasil, (2) Madd Munfasil, (3) Madd Lazim, (4) Madd Leen-Lazim, (5) Madd ‘Aarid (6) Madd Leen-’Aarid.
Question 46: Describe the case of Madd Muttasil.
Answer: If a Hamzah comes after the letters of Maddah in the same word, then it will be Madd Muttasil (attached).
Question 47: Describe the case of Madd Munfasil.
Answer: If a Hamzah comes after a letter of Maddah in the next word, then it will be Madd Munfasil (separate).
Question 48: How long do Madd Muttasil and Madd Munfasil need to be stretched for?
Answer: When pronouncing Madd Muttasil and Madd Munfasil, stretch the tone up to 2, 2.5 and ألف i.e. 4 or 5 Harakaat.
Question 49: Describe the case of Madd Lazim.
Answer: If a Sukoon Asli ْ , ّ comes after a letter of Maddah, then it will be Madd Lazim.
Question 50: Describe the case of Madd Leen-Lazim.
Answer: If a Sukoon Asli (original) ْ comes after a letter of Leen, then it will be Madd Leen-Lazim.
Question 51: How long do Madd Lazim and the Madd Leen-Lazim need to be stretched for?
Answer: When pronouncing Madd Lazim and Madd Leen-Lazim, stretch up to 3 ألف i.e. 6 Harakaat.
Question 52: Describe the case of Madd ‘Aarid.
Answer: If a Sukoon ‘Aaridi (temporary) [i.e. a letter becomes Saakin because of Waqf (pause)] comes after a letter of Maddah, then it will be Madd ‘Aarid.
Question 53: Describe the case of Madd Leen Aarid.
Answer: If a Sukoon Aaridi (temporary) [i.e. a letter becomes Saakin because of Waqf (pause)] comes after a letter of Leen, then it will be Madd Leen-Aarid.
Question 54: How long do Madd ‘Aarid and Madd Leen ‘Aarid need to be stretched for?
Answer: When pronouncing Madd Aarid and Madd Leen-Aarid, stretch up to 1, 2 or 3 ألف i.e. up to 2, 4 or 6 Harakaat.
Question 55: What is a Za’id (additional) ألف, and how is it pronounced?
Answer: In some places of the Holy Quran, there is a circle sign shown as ‘o’ on an آلف this type of ألف is called a Za’id (additional) ألف one should not pronounce it.
Question 56: Which rule will apply in the نون Saakin present in the following words:قِنْوَانٌ صِنْوَانٌ بُنْيَانٌ دُنْيَا .
Answer: In the four words above, a Yarmaloon letter is present after the نون Saakin in the same word. Idgham will not be done in these words, instead Izhar Mutlaq will be done. Hence do not make Ghunnah (nasalisation) in the four words above.
Question 57: What is Saktah?
Answer: To stop the sound and then to continue reading ahead holding the same breath is known as Saktah i.e. the sound should stop whilst holding the breath.
Question 58: What is the meaning of Tasheel?
Answer: The meaning of Tasheel is to make soft i.e. pronounce the second Hamzah with a soft tone.
Question 59: What is Imalah?
Answer: To incline the sound of Fathah [Zabar] towards Kasrah [Zayr] and the sound of الف towards یا is called Imalah.
Question 60: How is the را of Imalah pronounced?
Answer: The را of Imalah is pronounced instead ري of ری .
Question 61: What is meant by Waqf?
Answer: The meaning of Waqf is to pause/stop.
Question 62: What do you do if there is a Fathah [Zabar], Kasrah [Zayr], Dammah [Paysh], or even Kasratayn [two Zayr] or Dammatayn [two Paysh] on the last letter of the word in the case of Waqf?
Answer: If a Fathah [Zabar], Kasrah [Zayr], Dammah [Paysh], Kasratayn [two Zayr] or Dammatayn [two Paysh] comes on the last letter of the word, then make that (last) letter Saakin when doing Waqf.
Question 63: When doing Waqf, if there is a Tanween of Fathatayn [two Zabar] on the last letter of a word, then what should one do?
Answer: When doing Waqf, if there is a Tanween of Fathatayn [two Zabar] on the last letter of a word, it will be changed to آلف .
Question 64: What do you do if there is a round ‘تا’ i.e. ‘ة’ in the case of Waqf?
Answer: If the last letter of the word is a round ‘تا’ i.e. ‘ة’, then no matter which Harakah or Tanween it has on it, pronounce it as a ‘هْ’ Saakinah when making Waqf.
Question 65: What is نون Qutni?
Answer: When a Hamzah Wasliyyah [temporary] comes after Tanween, the Hamzah Wasliyyah is dropped in the case of Wasl (without pausing the نون Saakinah of Tanween is given a Kasrah [Zayr] and a small نون is usually shown with it; this نون is called نون Qutni.
Question 66: Which type of Waqf is shown by the circular sign ‘o’ and what should be done at this sign?
Answer: This is the sign of Waqf Tam and indicates the completion of a Quranic Ayah; one should pause here.
Question 67: Which type of Waqf is shown by ‘م’ and what is the rule regarding it?
Answer: This is the sign of Waqf Lazim; one must pause here.
Question 68: Which type of Waqf is shown by ‘ط’ and what is the rule regarding it?
Answer: This is the sign of Waqf Mutlaq; it is better to pause here.
Question 69: Which type of Waqf is shown by ‘ج’ and what is the rule regarding it?
Answer: This is the sign of Waqf Jaaiz; it is better to pause here but it is also permissible (allowed) to continue.
Question 70: Which type of Waqf is shown by ‘ز’ and what is the rule regarding it?
Answer: This is the sign of Waqf Mujawwaz; it is permissible to pause here but it is better to avoid.
Question 71: Which type of Waqf is shown by ‘ص’ and what is the rule regarding it?
Answer: This is the sign of Waqf Murakhkhas; one should not pause here.
Question 72: Explain the rules of Waqf regarding the ‘لا’ sign.
Answer: If the ‘ۙ’ sign comes above the sign of an Ayah i.e. ‘ۙ’, there is a difference of opinion whether to pause or not. If ‘لا’ is present without the Ayah sign, then do not pause.
Question 73: What is l’adah?
Answer: After doing Waqf [pausing], reciting while joining the preceding text is called I’adah.
Question 74: Which Wazifah (invocation) should be recited to become pious and steadfast upon the Sunnah?
Answer: To become pious and steadfast upon Sunnah, keep reciting ‘‘ all the time.
Question 75: What are the 5 stages of knowledge?
Answer: (1) To observe silence (2) To listen with attention (3) To remember what was heard (4) To abide by what was learnt (5) To pass on the acquired knowledge.
Question 76: What is the Wazifah to strengthen memory?
Answer: Recite ‘ يَا عَلِيمٌ ‘ 21 times (recite Salat upon the Holy Nabi صلى الله عليه واله وسلم once before and after the invocation), blow on water and drink it or make somebody else drink on an empty stomach (before breakfast) for 40 days. The memory (of the one who drinks this water) will be strengthened, ان شاء الله .
Question 77: Which Dua (supplication) should one recite for memorizing lessons?
Answer: Recite the following Dua before memorizing lessons with Salat upon the Beloved Nabi صل الله عليم واله وسلم before and after it: اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ عَلَيْنَا حِكْمَتَكَ وَانْشُرُ عَلَيْنَا رَحْمَتَكَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
Question 78: How many Fard (obligatory) acts are there in Wudu and what are they?
Answer: There are four Fard acts in Wudu and they are: (1) Washing the whole face (2) Washing both arms including the elbows (3) Moistening a quarter of the head (4) Washing both feet including the ankles.
Question 79: How many Fard acts are there in Ghusl and what are they?
Answer: There are three Fard acts in Ghusl and they are: (1) Rinsing the mouth (2) Sniffing water inside the nose (3) Washing the whole apparent body.
Question 80: How many Fard acts are there in Tayammum and what are they?
Answer: There are three Fard acts in Tayammum and they are: (1) Intention (2) Wiping hands on the entire face (3) Wiping both arms including the elbows.
Question 81: How many Pre-Conditions of Salah are there and what are they?
Answer: There are 6 Pre-Conditions of Salah and they are: (1) Taharah (Purity) (2) Satr-e- Awrat (veiling [i.e. concealing mandatory body parts]) (3) Istiqbal-e-Qiblah (facing towards the direction of Qiblah) (4) Waqt (Time) (5) Niyyah (intention) (6) Takbeer-e-Tahrimah.
Question 82: How many Fard acts are there in Salah and what are they?
Answer: There are 7 Fard acts of Salah and they are: (1) Takbeer-e-Tahrimah (2) Qiyam (3) Qira’at (4) Ruku’ (5) Sujood (6) Qa’dah Aakhirah (7) Khurooj-e-Bisun’ihi.
